Today I want to talk to you all about how I tried to remake a Patek Philippe Gondolo 4962/200R-001, the one that’s supposed to be sold in specialty stores. It was a wild ride, let me tell you.
First, I started by looking all over for the original watch. I mean, not to buy, just to study. This wasn’t easy, folks. I rummaged through many watch forums and some specialty store websites. Finally, I found enough pictures and descriptions to get a good idea of what I was up against.
Get the Materials
Next, I had to get the materials. This was a challenge. I needed some rose gold, or something that looks like it, diamonds, and all those tiny watch parts. I spent hours in local craft stores and online shops. I even visited some jewelers, pretending I was super rich and interested in custom pieces. Don’t judge, I was desperate!
- Rose gold sheet – kinda found something similar.
- Diamonds – ended up with some shiny crystals that looked close enough.
- Watch mechanism – bought a cheap, used watch and took it apart.
- Leather strap – found one that was a decent match.
Put Everything Together
Then came the hard part. I set up my little workbench in the garage. My wife thought I was losing it. I started by shaping the rose gold. Let’s just say it didn’t go smoothly. I bent, cut, and hammered that thing for days. It was a mess, honestly. I even burned my fingers a couple of times with the soldering iron.
After that, I tried to set the “diamonds.” This was even trickier. They kept falling off, and the glue was getting everywhere. I almost gave up, I really did. But I pushed through, sticking those little crystals one by one. It took forever, and my back was killing me.
The Final Stretch
Finally, I got to the watch mechanism. I disassembled the cheap watch and tried to fit it into my homemade case. It was like trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. I modified, tweaked, and prayed. Eventually, I managed to make it work, sort of. It was ticking, which was a miracle in itself.
Last but not least, I attached the leather strap. This was the easiest part, thank goodness. I just used some strong glue and clamps. And there it was, my homemade Patek Philippe Gondolo. It looked… well, it looked like something I made in my garage. But I was proud of it, damn it!
So, there you have it. My crazy attempt to remake a fancy watch. It was a total disaster in many ways, but I learned a lot, and it was a fun, frustrating, and ultimately rewarding experience. Would I do it again? Probably not. But hey, at least I can say I tried.
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